Desmodium triflorum, Hamsapadi, sirupulladi, Kudaliya, nilamparanta, Creeping Tick Trefoil

Desmodium triflorum (L.) DC.
Family: Fabaceae

Synonyms: Aeschynomene triflora Poir., Desmodium albiflorum Cordem., Desmodium bullamense G.Don, Desmodium caespitosum Bojer, Desmodium granulatum Walp., Desmodium stipulaceum Burm.f., Desmodium stipulaceum (Burm.f.) Hassk., Desmodium triflorum var. adpressum Ohwi, Desmodium triflorum var. minus Wight & Arn., Desmodium triflorum var. pygmaeum Hoehne, Desmodium triflorum var. triflorum, Desmodium triflorum var. villosum Wight & Arn., Hedysarum granulatum Schum. & Thonn., Hedysarum granulatum Schum., Hedysarum granulatum Schumach. & Thonn., Hedysarum stipulaceum Burm.f., Hedysarum stipulaceum Sesse ex DC., Hedysarum triflorum L., Hippocrepis humilis Blanco, Meibomia triflora (L.) Kuntze, Meibomia triflora f. coerulescens Kuntze, Meibomia triflora f. flavescens Kuntze, Meibomia triflora var. glabrescens Kuntze, Meibomia triflora var. pilosa Kuntze, Meibomia triflora f. purpurea Kuntze, Meibomia triflora f. violacea Kuntze, Meibomia triflora f. virescens Kuntze, Nicolsonia reptans Meissner, Nicolsonia reptans Hook.f. & Benth., Nicolsonia reptans Meisn., Nicolsonia triflora Griseb., Pleurolobus triflorus J.St.-Hil., Sagotia triflora (L.) Duchass. & Walp.

• Common name: Creeping Tick Trefoil, three-flower beggarweed, tropical trefoil,three-flower beggarweed, matty desmodium
• Bengali: kudaliya
• Chinese: 三点金草
• French: PlatÁ, Gazon
• Hindi: Kudaliya, motha
• Kannada: kaadu pullampurasi, kaadu pullam purasi, kaadu menthe
• Malayalam: നിലമ്പരണ്ട nilamparanta
• Marathi: chipti, ran-methi
• Mizo: bawngekhlo
• Nepali: बुटे कनिके Bute kanike
• Oriya: bawngekhlo, kansisna
• Sanskrit: हंसपदी Hamsapadi, त्रिपदी Tripadi
• Spanish: Acaba Pangola
• Tamil: sirupullati, ciru pullati, sirupulladi
• Telugu:  muntamandu

Description: Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems prostrate, trailing, or mat forming, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems 1-2 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs glabrous or sparsely glabrate, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Stems hairs pilose or spreading, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules deciduous, Stipules free, Leaves compound, Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, Leaves odd pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Stipels present at base of leaflets, Leaflets 3, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Bracteoles present, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 2-lipped or 2-lobed, C alyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals white, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Fruit a loment, jointed, separating into articles, Fruit unilocular, Fruit tardily or weakly dehiscent, Fruit indehiscent, Fruit elongate, straight, Fruit strongly curved, falcate, bent, or lunate, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit compressed between seeds, Fruit hairy, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seeds reniform, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black. 

Used in Ayurveda and Sidha. Whole plant astringent, laxa- tive, antipyretic, expectorant, antiseptic, used on skin rashes,  wounds and abscesses and for inducing sweat and promoting  digestion; tender parts chewed to treat toothache; fresh juice  of the plant given to children for coughs; plant juice used as  ear drops to alleviate earache and also given as galactagogue;  infusion of the leaves of Hydrocotyle javanica, mixed with  plant of Desmodium triflorum , leaves of Kadsura scandens  and fruits of Litsea cubeba, drunk to treat measles, pox in  small children. Roots decoction for colic; root juice dropped  in  eye  to  treat  inflammation.  Leaves  to  treat  diarrhea  and  dysentery, convulsions, wounds and abscesses; fresh leaves  used  internally  as  a  galactagogue,  applied  to  wounds  and  abscesses;  young  leaves  chewed  for  toothache;  a  paste  of  bruised leaves applied to itches, nails and indolent sores; leaf  juice applied for cuts, wounds and piles. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]

Fresh leaves—used internally as galactagogue and for diarrhoea; applied externally to wounds and abscesses. Root—diuretic. Also used for cough, asthma. [Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary]

Dysentery, antitoxic, hepatitis, red eye with inflammation, lymph infection, anthelmintic action against Ascaris lumbricoides. [Taiwanese Native Medicinal Plants: Phytopharmacology and Therapeutic Values]

33 Published articles of Desmodium triflorum
1.    Efficacy of aqueous and methanolic extracts of plant Desmodium triflorum for potential antibacterial activity Ritika, S., P. Bharat, and K. Atul, International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (IJPSR), 2013. 4(5): p. 1975-1981.
2.    Anticonvulsant and antioxidant activity of aqueous leaves extract of Desmodium triflorum in mice against pentylenetetrazole and maximal electroshock induced convulsion Bhosle, V., Revista Brasileira De Farmacognosia-Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy, 2013. 23(4): p. 692-698.
3.    SEED GERMINATION OF TWO MEDICINAL PLANTS: DESMODIUM PULCHELLUM (L.) BENTH. AND D. TRIFLORUM (L.) DC Rahman, M.Z., M.O. Rahman, and M. Abul Hassan, Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy, 2012. 19(2): p. 209-212.
4.    Evaluation of anticonvulsant activity of ethanolic leaves extract of Desmodium triflorum in mice Gowda, G., et al., Revista Brasileira De Farmacognosia-Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy, 2012. 22(3): p. 649-656.
5.    Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from Desmodium triflorum: a novel approach towards weed utilization Naheed, A., et al., Biotechnology Research International, 2011. 2011: p. 454090-ID 454090.
6.    Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Desmodium triflorum: A Novel Approach Towards Weed Utilization Ahmad, N., et al., Biotechnology research international, 2011. 2011: p. 454090-454090.
7.    Genetic Diversity and Geographical Differentiation of Desmodium triflorum (L.) DC. in South China Revealed by AFLP Markers Yue, M.-f., et al., Journal of Plant Biology, 2010. 53(2): p. 165-171.
8.    Study on distribution and morphological variation of Desmodium triflorum (L.) DC. germplasms collected from South China Yue, M., G. Xin, and L. Feng, Acta Agrestia Sinica, 2010. 18(2): p. 263-267.
9.    Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of Desmodium triflorum (L.) DC Lai, S.-C., et al., American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2010. 38(2): p. 329-342.
10.    Effects of 4 treatments on germination of Desmodium triflorum He, G., et al., Pratacultural Science, 2010. 27(5): p. 91-96.
11.    Study on asexual propagation of a wild leguminous plant Desmodium triflorum Ma, Z. and G. He, Pratacultural Science, 2009. 26(7): p. 147-151.
12.    Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Methanol Extract from Desmodium triflorum DC in Mice Lai, S.-C., et al., American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2009. 37(3): p. 573-588.
13.    Clonal propagation of Desmodium triflorum Manjunatha, B.K., S.M. Vidya, and V. Krishna, Journal of Tropical Medicinal Plants, 2007. 8(2): p. 220-223.
14.    Trials on mixed lawns and turf of Desmodium triflorum Xie, Z., Y. Yang, and Z. Wang, Pratacultural Science, 2005. 22(10): p. 107-109.
15.    Nodulation characteristics and nitrogenase activity in Desmodium triflorum Xie, Z., Y. Yang, and Z. Wang, Pratacultural Science, 2005. 22(9): p. 80-81.
16.    Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of Desmodium triflorum DC Chowdhury, K.K., et al., Journal of Biological Sciences, 2005. 5(5): p. 581-583.
17.    The preliminary report of turf characteristics of uncultivated Desmodium triflorum(L)DC Ma, Z., et al., Journal of northwest sci-tech university of agriculture and forestry, 2003. 31(3): p. 54-58.
18.    Water absorption and drought resistant of different growth seed of Desmodium triflorum(L)DC.and Paspalum L.salom seashore Ma, Z., et al., Agricultural Research in the Arid Areas, 2003. 21(2): p. 82-85,98.
19.    The Morphological Characteristics of Desmodium Triflorum (L.) DC Ma, Z. and C. Yang, Journal of Shenzhen University, 2002. 19(1): p. 72-75.
20.    Pharmacognostic study of leaf of Desmodium triflorum (Linn.) DC Deokule, S.S., Biovigyanam, 1992. 18(1): p. 50-55.
21.    THE BRANCHING SYSTEM OF DESMODIUM-TRIFLORUM LEGUMINOSAE Ohashi, H. and T. Nemoto, Journal of Japanese Botany, 1986. 61(1): p. 15-21.
22.    GROWTH RESPONSES OF DESMODIUM-TRIFLORUM TO AIR POLLUTION CAUSED BY FOSSIL FUEL FIRING Khan, F.A. and S. Khair, Acta Botanica Indica, 1985. 13(2): p. 261-262.
23.    OCCURRENCE OF A RARE DIHOLOSYLFLAVONE, -.O.-G.I.D.-T.A., D. and K.V. Syamasundar, Current Science, 1982. 51(19): p. 936-937.
24.    DESMODIUM-TRIFLORUM MOTTLE A VIRUS DISEASE Suteri, B.D. and R.D. Joshi, Geobios (Jodhpur), 1978. 5(6): p. 266-267.
25.    DESMODIUM-TRIFLORUM MOTTLE A VIRUS DISEASE Joshi, R.D., B.D. Suteri, and L.N. Dubey, Indian Journal of Mycology and Plant Pathology, 1977. 7(2): p. 189-189.
26.    A biological study of Desmodium triflorum Williams, C.N. and M.M. Yunus, Malaysian Agricultural Research, 1975. 4(3): p. 163-172.
27.    FLORAL BIOLOGY AND SEED DEVELOPMENT IN ALYSICARPUS-VAGINALIS DESMODIUM-HETEROPHYLLUM AND DESMODIUM-TRIFLORUM Chow, K.H., Journal of the Singapore National Academy of Science, 1974. 4(1): p. 6-10.
28.    DESMODIUM-ALKALOIDS .4. CHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF D TRIFLORUM Ghosal, S., et al., Planta Medica, 1973. 23(4): p. 321-329.
29.    ALKALOIDS OF DESMODIUM-TRIFLORUM Ghosal, S., P.K. Banerjee, and S.K. Dutta, Phytochemistry, 1971. 10(12): p. 3312-&.
30.    Traditional Chinese medicinal composition useful for treating cold coagulation blood stasis syndrome type endometrial hyperplasia, c.D.t., Asarum wulingense, Tremella aurantialba and Sida szechuensis Hu, W. Hu W.
31.    Traditional Chinese medicine used for treating dysmenorrhea comprises Asarum, D.t., fructus trachyspermum, fructus litseae, celery, Ligusticum sinense, celery root, Euscaphis, Thymelaeaceae, rice, Pyracantha and Baeckea Hu, W. Hu W.
32.    Traditional Chinese medicine composition used for treating arthralgia spasm pain type cervical spondylosis, i.A.w., Desmodium triflorum, Impatiens leptocaulon, Ficus microcarpa leaf, Litsea rotundifolia and Diploclisia Guo, N. Guo N.
33.    Traditional Chinese medicine used for treating cold stasis type vasculitis, c.D.t., Asarum wulingense, Piper boehmeriifolium, Actinidia polygama, Rubia yunnanensis, Smilax nipponica and Daphne koreana Gao, Y. and X. Lu. Gao Y.